Mindfulness is a word that you will see pop up in a diverse array of circles these days. Hippy wannabe gurus will talk about it in equal parts to therapists working with combat veterans and school para-pros will work its practices into neurodivergent kids’ development. So, what’s the deal? Why did something that was commonly associated with neo-spiritualists and meditation turn into a concept being discussed by everyone from stoic alpha males to ADHD soccer moms? Much of it is more recent turn than you would think. 

History 

The general concept of mindfulness practices goes back thousands of years in Buddhist tradition and philosophy. You can read about that specific spiritual and philosophical origin in the Pali Canon along with the rest of Buddhist canon to get an in-depth understanding of its ancient origin. The spiritual and philosophical practice evolved and spread throughout eastern cultures but maintained some basic tenants: physical/emotional/spiritual self-awareness, living in and experiencing the moment you are in, and nonjudgemental awareness of your environment. Moving way ahead to modern secular approaches is when its current presence begins. A man named Jon Kabat-Zinn developed a therapeutic practice called Mindful Based Stress Reduction in 1979 that rapidly became wildly accepted and utilized. So much so that it branched off into additional therapies such as Segal, Williams, and Teasdale’s Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy in 2002. These two examples are the foundation for the modern use of mindfulness in psychotherapy with great reported success relieving issues stemming from anxiety, depression, ADHD, PTSD, and other mental health issues. 

Current Relevance  

Why does this kind of therapeutic approach and philosophy resonate with so many people? Part of this is rooted in the nature of some of the issues it helps. Anxiety is often seen as an unhealthy focus on the future and guilt/resentment is seen as an unhealthy focus on the past. If you have both then it makes sense that a pull toward the “now” might relieve some of those stresses. There is also a common problem with panicked and rapid thinking related to short attention spans caused by technological social changes or clinical panic stress disorders. Practicing a habit of assertively slowing and controlling your flow of thoughts during mindfulness exercises makes it a more natural outcome when you are in your everyday life. I think that we can all agree that there is a massive social epidemic involving anxiety, catastrophizing, vast mental health instability, and a lack of personal awareness for ourselves. These have created a need and longing desire for exactly the kind of support provided by modern mindfulness approaches. 

Shut up and do it! 

Mindfulness exercises are not what you think they are. Many of us have done them without even thinking that is what we are doing. This is simply formalizing them into a daily structured practice. Have you ever stepped out to have a cigarette by yourself and have a Zen peaceful 10 minutes just feeling the breaths and emptying out your thoughts to “just be?” Perhaps just sat in the dark relaxing after a long day at work enjoying the stillness and peace of the quiet. That is very similar to what I am talking about. If you are not familiar with this then you probably need it even more. Life is stressful and messy. We have responsibilities that are very serious to us that build up stress and anxiety. We get too reactive to things because that is a natural adapted state when problem solving, and the problems keep manifesting without a break. You have a dozen reasons why you not only need to incorporate this kind of stress relief into your life but will also absolutely enjoy the practice. You will find yourself more introspective and have better self-awareness that leads to better control of your emotions. Just take the time to give it a try. Spend a couple days reading about the sources I discussed in the history section and find an instruction/walkthrough video on Youtube to get you started. They can be kind of lame, but they will help you get started. After you get into the practice comfortably you won’t need them if you don’t want them. I do a form of mindfulness while I train at the gym. I call it “zoning in” instead of “zoning out.” It’s a mental state that you find in the military when you are on very long ruck marches, and it is why so many guys really enjoy those marches even though they beat down your body.  

Conclusion 

Whether you are a combat veteran looking to regulate your thoughts better or are a full time stay at home mom overstressed and under rested from the responsibilities of your family, these practices are going to help you. You can go deep into the therapeutic developmental process or simply set 15 minutes a day aside to be mindfully present. Whatever depth of commitment you choose you will find some benefit. We often spend so much time addressing external realities that we don’t realize how far we have become detached from an internal connection. Take the time to reconnect to yourself and the moment, because that is who does all the work and when it happens.